Florida one of 31 states that allow death penalty

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Pew Research Group has found that public support for capital punishment is on the decline, dropping from 80 percent in 1995 to just 49 percent in 2016.

Orange-Osceola County State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced Thursday that she will not seek the death penalty for cases while she's in office. She used accused killer Markeith Loyd as an example. He's accused of killing pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton.

Channel 9's Michael Lopardi went back to the Walmart where Clayton was shot to get the community's reaction to Ayala's decision.

About a dozen people told Eyewitness News that they want to see the death penalty pursued in Loyd’s case, but not everyone agreed.

“He killed a police officer who was just trying to do her job. No. He needs to fry,” said Katherine Wolford.

“For this situation, I think he should have gotten the death penalty,” said another woman.

Another man also agreed that Loyd should be sentenced to death.

“I think they should. He took a life," one man, who didn't want to be identified, told Eyewitness News.

Two people Eyewitness News spoke with opposed capital punishment.

Numbers from both Gallup and Pew show support for the death penalty has gradually declined from its peak in the 1990s. Just ask the ACLU of Florida.

“We welcome this change. We wish that other state attorney offices would follow suit,” said Nancy Abudu, legal director with the organization, which believes capital punishment is not effective in deterring crime, and unfairly influenced by a defendant's income or race.

“What would you say to the family members of those victims in this case? Are they really receiving justice then?” Lopardi asked.

“While we express our understanding and condolences to those families, we just don't believe that the death penalty is the solution,” Abudu said.

Cox Media Group